Brown and Watson Break Through at Noosa Pro Junior
Milla Coco Brown and Willem Watson won the 2026 Noosa Pro Junior, while Brown, Ocean Lancaster and Willow Hardy secured World Junior Championships qualification.
Milla Coco Brown and Willem Watson captured the inaugural Murf Electric Bikes Noosa Pro Junior on August 26, overcoming Australia and Oceania’s leading under-20 surfers in small but contestable waves at Sunshine Beach. Brown also secured the regional women’s title and a place at the 2026 World Junior Championships in El Salvador.
Key takeaways
- Milla Coco Brown won the women’s final and claimed the Australia/Oceania junior series.
- Willem Watson earned his first WSL Pro Junior victory.
- Ocean Lancaster and Willow Hardy secured regional ranking positions for the World Junior Championships.
- Lancaster and Siqi Yang won the inaugural Murf Coast Cup titles.
The two-day World Surf League event formed the final stop of the 2026 Australia/Oceania Junior Tour. It also served as the second leg of the new Murf Coast Cup, which links the Noosa and Tweed Coast Pro Juniors.
Brown surges to the women’s title
Brown entered the final day ranked second but needed victory to overtake Willow Hardy and win the regional series. After narrowly advancing through the quarterfinals, she produced a decisive run through the semifinals and final, using her trademark speed and progressive surfing to take control.
Siqi Yang of China finished runner-up, while Hardy placed third and Stella Green fourth. The result was Brown’s second event win of the season and earned her qualification for the World Junior Championships, scheduled for El Salvador in November.
Brown said winning the final removed the pressure of the series-title race and made the qualification news even more rewarding. Hardy’s third-place finish moved her to second in the regional rankings, also securing her a World Junior Championships berth.
Watson claims maiden WSL Pro Junior win
Watson delivered the standout men’s performance of Finals Day, earning an excellent 8.50-point ride on his way to the championship heat. He then held off Max McGilivray, Darcy Dwyer and Sol Gruendling to claim his first WSL Pro Junior title.
The victory was especially significant because it came at home and in the final event of the season. Watson credited the support of family and friends on the beach for helping him perform under pressure.
McGilivray finished second, followed by Dwyer in third and Gruendling in fourth. Despite not winning in Noosa, Ocean Lancaster retained the men’s top ranking after a dominant season that included victory at the Tweed Coast Pro Junior.
Coast Cup crowns for Lancaster and Yang
Lancaster’s results across both events made him the inaugural Murf Coast Cup men’s champion. Dane Henry, the reigning WSL World Junior Champion, finished second in the regional rankings, with Lancaster and Henry earning the men’s World Junior Championships places.
Yang won the women’s Murf Coast Cup after recording a victory and a runner-up finish across the two events. The new series is intended to provide emerging surfers with more ranking opportunities and strengthen Australia’s pathway from junior competition toward professional tours.
A new step in the development pathway
Organized by Surfing Queensland in partnership with the Noosa Boardriders Club, the Noosa Pro Junior brought together many of the region’s leading surfers aged 20 and under. The event highlighted Sunshine Beach as a high-level competition venue while giving young athletes valuable experience in a professional setting.
The Pro Junior circuit is an important entry point into the WSL system, helping surfers progress from junior events to the Qualifying Series, Challenger Series and ultimately the Championship Tour.